Fedrid
The thick forests of this feral world are so dense and so teeming with dangerous carnivores that access is forbidden without a license. Fedrid is a favorite of game hunters and those individuals procuring animals for the Imperial arenas. Fedrid's tithe involves raising regiments of feral warriors for Imperial Guard regiments. Fedrid is home to a Calixian saint, the tribal warrior known as Quivvar Nog of Fedrid who was responsible for spreading the worship of the Emperor to the feral population. Famed Xanthite Inquisitor Angelique De Falk had lost her left eye in battle to a Chaos Magus, and it is rumored that she replaced it with a baleful orb torn from the skull of a half-daemon thing worshiped as a god amid the steaming jungles of Fedrid. In an effort to choke the illegal trade of xenos, specifically the Beast House, the Adeptus Arbites ships are staging rolling interdictions of Fedrid and its cousin death worlds, seeding the system with spy stations when they move on. 'The Beasts of Fedrid' Fedrid’s impenetrable jungles are home to many dangerous and exotic beasts that lure off-world hunters to risk life and limb on this death world. Those who dare descend through its humid atmosphere find a hostile planet seething in an eternal battle of predator and prey, where even the herbivores are aggressive, attacking with the slightest provocation. The dangers are legion, ranging from the tiny but insidious flesh boring rot worms, to lurking pit-biles hiding beneath the loam with snapping jaws like mantraps, to thorn-back reptiles the size of Imperial Guard battle tanks. Of the varied predators haunting the emerald jungles, the “tree-jumpers” are the best known. Six-limbed mantids the size of an adult man, they have massive slicing claws on the end of each appendage and clusters of compound eyes that keep them appraised of approaching prey. They dwell in the high canopy, leaping from tree to tree, ceaselessly hunting for their next meal. When they spot a likely victim, they silently drop from above, claws splayed, to land on the back of the unfortunate creature. They bite and slash, shredding flesh and rapidly devouring their meals before the spilt blood attracts the attention of larger beasts. While most tree-jumpers are solitary, packs of these horrors are not unknown and entire expeditions have been slaughtered by these savage beasts, particularly if their breeding nests are disturbed by the unwary explorer. Of all of the monstrous creatures great and small, none are so fabled or so prized as a trophy as the Sa’vak; or the “black death” as it is also known, perhaps the greatest horror of Fedrid. The undisputed masters of the jungle, they are massive creatures, growing up to tens of meters in length. Capable of standing dormant and utterly indistinguishable from dead or petrified tree-boughs until their prey draws close, then their fibrous carapace opens up to reveal dozens of saw-toothed tendrils, poisoned barbs and vast beaked jaws proven to be able to slice a carapace-armored man in half. Phenomenally fast for its size and all but imposable to kill, the Sa’vak is Fedrid’s most highly sought prize, but one that has lured innumerable would-be hunters to their death. Perhaps the most dangerous of predators on Fedrid, ironically of course, are human. Whether the well-armed expeditions of the jaded Scintillan nobility or the dark-eyed feral natives who serve as their guides, when they pass beyond the high compound walls of their hunting lodges, the only thing that attracts mankind to Fedrid is the scent of the kill. 'The Skin Taker of Fedrid' "Information has recently been brought to my attention concerning the rise of a disturbing new cult on Fedrid. Feral worlds are prone to such things, and usually these primitive superstitions can be swayed to the Imperium’s favour by directing their worship to the veneration of the God-Emperor. But this cult is different. It smacks of influence from Darker Powers and has an insidious nature to it." –From the journals of Inquisitor Felroth Gelt 042.821.M41 How does one describe a creature no one has seen? The Skin Taker, a strange being native to the feral world of Fedrid, is known only by its distinctive habit---killing men for their skin. Long–rumored to exist by those familiar with the beasts of Fedrid’s thick forests, the Skin Taker has announced itself with a vengeance, slaughtering several hunting parties. The flayed remains were found strung up on simple frames, a gristly warning to any who might take the dangers of the forests lightly. Few people have survived a Skin Talker’s assault, with fewer still able to describe one in action. Virtually all eyewitnesses state the same thing---an attacking Skin Taker is no more than a ripple in the air, a blur of motion with no discernible form. Some have said it appears as a “hole” in the air, a moving spot of visual distortion. These descriptions have led to several theories as to the true nature of the Skin Taker. Some feel they are a form of tree–jumper, a mantid with unparalleled powers of concealment and camouflage. Others say its invisibility smacks of alien technologies and point to the Dark Eldar. And finally, there are whispered tales stating the Skin Taker is a Warp–born daemon, a creature of Chaos come to Fedrid to engage in unopposed slaughter. Regardless of the creature’s origin, it relies on stealth and striking from ambush. Skin Takers seem to share the upper canopy with tree–jumpers, using the comparatively safer tree–tops to track a potential victim for kilometers before descending to make a kill. Usually loners or stragglers are taken first, the Skin Taker whittling down a party one–by–one until only the strongest, most skillful, or luckiest hunter is left. Normally the only thing left to find once the Skin Taker has finished are skinned corpses, often missing the head. The actions of the Skin Taker has led to the rise of several cults on Fedrid. Seeking to emulate the skill of the Skin Taker in taking trophies, these cultists prey on their fellow men, pursuing, killing, and skinning those who travel out into the wild of Fedrid on hunting expeditions. 'Power Groups' *Beast House - The Beast House sponsors many of the hunts on Fedrid, and is rumored to have its own reserves of jungle and human hunting grounds; they are hated by the natives of Fedrid 'Unique Equipment' Fedrid Razor Disk Class: Exotic (Fedrid Razor Disk) The hunters of Fedrid employ an unusual thrown weapon on their expeditions, the razor disk. About the side of a standard dinner plate, the weapon features a sharpened edge all around its outer surface. Numerous holes, made at 45 degree angles, pierce the disk’s surface so that when thrown the air passing through creates a low humming sound, allowing the hunter to follow the disc by sound as it disappears into the dense Fedrid undergrowth. Exotic, 10m, S/–/–, 1d10(+SB), R, PEN 1, Clip 1, Primitive, WT 0.5kg, Cost 50, Average Braid Cloak The hunters of Fedrid rarely go tracking without wearing a braid cloak. The cloak is made from the tough hide of a large herbivorous creature, called the Ungorth, which has evolved a tough hide to repel the sharp claws of its predators. The braid cloak is worn by hunters to protect against similar attacks, as the predators that fall from the trees on Fedrid are not particularly choosy about what they attack. Hunters often incorporate vines, leaves and other vegetation for camouflage. Outside of the Fedrid jungles, the cloak’s value is somewhat lessened. A braid cloak grants a +10 bonus on Concealment Tests when worn in forest or jungle terrain. In addition, the cloak grants 1 Armour Point to the Body. The protection provided counts as Primitive. Cost 80, WT 2kg, Uncommon Smoke Flare Fedrid smoke flares are made from the hollowed-out spines of a native cactus-like plant. The spines are filled with white cotton that, when lit, gives off a high yield of thick black, acrid smoke over an area of up to 40 meters. The smoke disperses at a rate appropriate to the environmental conditions. A strong wind clears the area in 1d5 Rounds; indoors, the smoke clears after 2d10 minutes. Cost 12, WT 0.4kg, Scarce Fedrid Soul Mask These ornate, bizarre and often frightening masks are employed by the native hunters of Fedrid as a sinister form of defense. Soaked in the blood of beasts (and some say ritually murdered rivals), these outsized masks are worn on the back with the common belief that the trapped soul within will flinch with anticipation if danger stalks up behind the wearer. Unsurprisingly these macabre items of “primitive art” grace the walls of many a private study on Scintilla and elsewhere and fetch high prices. The stories of strange hauntings, bloody histories and native curses clinging to such masks only adds to the frisson of owning one for some. Category:Calixis Sector Category:Planets Category:Markayn Marches Category:Feral Worlds